EA Sports UFC is out today for PS4 and Xbox One, and the consensus seems to be that looks, no matter how polished or impressive, are no substitute for solid gameplay.
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Don't feel like reading everything? Aggregate score site Metacritic currently has the game with a 77 for the Xbox One version, and a 69 for the PS4 version, so consider before you grab this game. That being said, here's something a bit more in-depth from the critics:
DualShockers, 9 - "This is one of the best looking sports/fighting games made to date. EA Sports UFC uses the IGNITE engine and really showcases what it is capable of. No two fights are ever the same and cuts, bleeding and bruising are all realistically developed during a match...EA took great care in making sure the feel of a real UFC fight was captured. Everything from the announcer (Bruce Buffer the official announcer of the UFC), referees (Yves Lavigne and company), the Octagon (complete with sponsors), fighter trainers and even Octagon girls were meticulously scanned and give an authentic feel. Even the commentary puts you right into the fight with Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg calling the action and letting you know when a cut to a fighters cheek is getting worse or repeated leg kicks are damaging a fighter...The UFC Career mode is really where the game shines and immerses you into the feeling of being a real fighter. You begin as an unknown fighter that goes onto the Ultimate Fighter show in order to make it into the UFC. Once you win the Ultimate Fighter contest you will then be vaulted into the UFC to fight in undercard matches until you build up enough popularity and fans...All in all EA Sports UFC is a great fighting game that embodies the strategy and fighting prowess needed to be an ultimate fighter. The game does a great job making each punch, kick, takedown and submission feel as real as it gets without having to step into a real Octagon. This is a must have for any MMA or UFC fan and a must try for anyone who really wants to learn the sport and understand what it is all about."
Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson Star in EA Sports UFC Demo, Out Today for PS4 and Xbox One
Eurogamer, 7 - "EA Sports UFC is Electronic Arts' second jab at the complicated, violent, misunderstood and multi-faceted sport of mixed martial arts. The fantastic EA MMA was built in the humid climes of Florida, though, meaning EA Sports UFC is the first step into the cage for the Canadian team responsible for the Fight Night boxing series. The pedigree is clear from the get-go: gorgeous character models do battle in fluid striking exchanges; skin ripples on impact, heavy blows crunch and crush, flurries dazzle and knockouts shock. Yet on closer inspection, EA Sports UFC begins to act a little strangely. It's like a suave secret agent from the world of boxing desperately trying to convince an army of Dana White devotees that it knows its armbars from its omoplatas...EA Sports UFC is a game capable of brilliance. It's let down by some curious design decisions, signs of a team perhaps too interested in capturing non-essential moves seen on YouTube rather than nailing the essence of the sport. But when it flows against human competition, it offers beautiful destruction and glorious drama. Landing a picture-perfect head kick in the final minute of the fifth round of a title fight? Well, it doesn't get much better. And if that's not worth a fistbump, I don't know what is.
GamesRadar, No Score - "As gorgeous as it looks, it's not a revolution in the same vein that Fight Night Round 3 was, as imbalanced single-player combat and an overall deficit of content keep this combatant from reaching its true potential. If there's one area where EA's haymaker-throwing franchises share a common bond, it's that EA Sports UFC continues the tradition of being a launch window graphical showpiece. Nearly every single one of EA Sports UFC's fighters (nearing 100 in number) is recreated with stunning accuracy...EA Sports UFC features a somewhat shallow career mode - outside of getting more sponsors, moves, and butts in the seats, there isn't much of a feeling of progression in the career mode...The fact that career mode is a bit underwhelming is accentuated by the fact that there's really no other modes of substance to invest your time into. Where previous UFC games would deliver additional leagues to fight in or classic matches to recreate, all EA Sports UFC brings to the table is standard bouts, some enjoyable training mini-games, and a career mode that mixes the two. EA Sports UFC has plenty of talent; it's looks amazing and plays fantastically when you're staging fights with friends. However, when you decide to go it alone, the gaps in AI skill and the dearth of additional content becomes problematic. The next time EA accompanies UFC to the ring, we could see a championship effort. This time, unfortunately, it settles for being pretty good."
EA Sports UFC is out now for PS4 and Xbox One. You can check out a bit of gameplay in the video below.